Port Hills crash cause identified

An interim report into the helicopter crash that killed Steve Askin as he helped put out February’s Port Hills fires has found the cables holding the monsoon bucket struck the tail rotor and damaged it, causing the craft to crash.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission yesterday released its interim report into the crash.

Evidence showed that the monsoon bucket suspension cables struck the tail rotor, damaging the rotor and causing the lossof the entire vertical stabiliser from the tail boom, the report said.

After the loss of the vertical stabiliser, the helicopter rolled to the right and descended until it crashed into the ground.